Temperature driven winding system
AssigneePreciflex SA
InventorsAlain Jaccard, Lucien Vouillamoz, Yves Ruffieux, Dominique Renaud, Johann Rohner
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A drive system for energizing a device that includes a bellows actuated drive. The bellows actuated drive provides linear forward and backward movement by fluid expansion and contraction of a fluid within a reservoir according to a temperature differential while the reservoir is in fluid contact with the bellows. In one variant, two bellows are configured in a V shaped conformation. Various devices are driven using the drive system of the current invention and include a timepiece, a medical device, an implantable medical device, a cardiac rhythm management device, a hearing aid, a medical micro-injector, a sensor, and a biometric transmitter.
Claims8
A self-winding timepiece comprising:
- a casing, a movement, a main spring for driving the movement and a winding mechanism for the main spring in the casing, and an energy source for driving the winding mechanism which comprises a substantially C-shaped, closed reservoir, a fluid within the reservoir expanding or contracting as a function of a temperature differential, and a bellows disposed within the C-shape of the C-shaped reservoir, the bellows being in fluid connection with the reservoir and providing axially motion in response to the expansion or contraction of the fluid, further comprising:
- a plurality of bellows, at least two of the bellows being arranged with respect to one another at an angle of greater than 1 degree to less than about 180 degrees.
A self-winding timepiece comprising:
- a casing, a movement, a main spring for driving the movement and a winding mechanism for the main spring in the casing, and an energy source for driving the winding mechanism which comprises a substantially C-shaped, closed reservoir, a fluid within the reservoir expanding or contracting as a function of a temperature differential, and a bellows disposed within the C-shape of the C-shaped reservoir, the bellows being in fluid connection with the reservoir and providing axially motion in response to the expansion or contraction of the fluid, further comprising a plurality of bellows, at least two of the bellows being arranged with respect to one another at an angle of greater than 45 degree to less than 90 degrees, and in which at least two of the bellows are sized differently one from another.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.